UC-NRLF 


12fi    332 


MOSAIC    BOOKBINDINGS 

A  CATALOGUE  OF  AN 

EXHIBITION 


Mo.  A 


MOSAIC    BOOKBINDINGS 

A  CATALOGUE  OF  AN 

EXHIBITION 

9          9 
9 


THE  GROLIER  CLUB 

29  EAST  320  STREET,  NEW  YORK 
JANUARY  23  TO  FEBRUARY  22,  1902 


PREFACE 

following  account  of  mosaic1  bindings  does 
A.  not  pretend  to  trace  the  development  of  orna- 
ment as  found  in  gold- tooled  bindings,  except  so 
far  as  it  is  necessary  in  connection  with  inlaid  work ; 
nor  can  it  hope  to  offer  much  that  is  new  in  the 
history  of  bookbinding.  It  attempts  only,  by  an 
orderly  arrangement  of  the  few  facts  which  are 
scattered  through  the  works  of  various  writers,  to 
lead  to  an  intelligent  comprehension  of  an  exhi- 
bition believed  to  be  unique. 

It  remains  to  express  indebtedness  and  thanks  to 
those  writers,  both  French  and  English,  from  whose 
books  these  facts  have  been  taken,  and  especially 
to  MM.  Henri  Beraldi  and  Ernest  Thoinan,  Mr. 
H.  P.  Home,  and  Miss  S.  T.  Prideaux. 

1  The  term  mosaic  has  been  used  in  this  catalogue  because 
of  its  general  acceptance  by  writers  on  bookbinding,  though 
inlaid  would  seem  to  be  a  better  expression  in  most  cases. 


M21222 


INTRODUCTION 

A  MOSAIC  binding  is  one  which  has  on  its 
covers,  or  doublure,  or  both,  a  pattern  made 
by  a  combination  of  small,  inlaid  pieces  of  colored 
leather,  paper,  or  painted  vellum,  outlined  or  tooled 
with  gold. 

A  mosaic  binding  is  as  different  from  a  gold- 
tooled  binding  as  a  colored  picture  is  from  one  in 
black  and  white ;  and  the  rules  governing  its  com- 
position should  be  as  different.  An  appreciation  of 
this  is  seen  in  the  work  of  the  best  periods,  but  too 
often  so-called  mosaic  bindings  are  compositions  in 
gold-tooled  lines  on  polychrome  backgrounds. 

The  motives  used  in  gold-tooled  bindings  had 
their  origin  in  the  colored  book  ornamentation 
of  the  East.  The  brilliantly  painted  Persian  and 
Arabian  manuscripts  in  the  Saracenic  style  gave 
these  forms,  it  is  thought,  to  the  Venetians,  who 
used  them  first  in  their  printed  books  and  then  on 
their  bindings.  In  the  beginning  only  the  simplest 
forms  were  copied  in  blind  or  gold  lines,  but  soon 
the  patterns  became  more  elaborate,  and  eventually, 
as  might  have  been  expected  of  a  race  always  sus- 
ceptible to  color,  a  varnished  incrustation,  like 
enamel,  was  made  to  add  the  effectiveness  of  color 


INTRODUCTION 


to  the  gilded  design.  This  art  of  painted  book- 
bindings spread  rapidly,  and  reached  its  best  period 
in  the  hands  of  the  French,  as  well  as  of  the  Italians, 
during  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Its 
decay  is  seen  in  coarse  designs  and  crude  colors, 
and  its  final  end  in  the  stamped  Lyonese  bindings. 

The  frailty  of  the  painted  decoration  was  one  of 
the  causes  of  its  disuse ;  and  it  is  partly  due  to  this, 
too,  that  painting  or  enameling  on  leather  covers 
has  never  been  seriously  revived.  Pared  leathers 
gained  the  same  color  effect,  and,  not  being  so  per- 
ishable, gradually  supplanted  the  older  method. 

A  few  examples  of  bindings  inlaid  with  colored 
leathers  are  found  in  Italy  and  France  during  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries;  but  it  was 
in  the  hands  of  the  English,  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, and  of  the  French  in  the  eighteenth,  that  mo- 
saic binding,  in  the  strict  sense  of  our  definition, 
came  into  general  use,  and  reached  its  highest  de- 
gree of  interest.  The  nineteenth  century  was 
marked  everywhere  by  the  frequent  use  of  inlaid 
leathers.  The  painted  bindings  of  Italy  and  the 
French  eighteenth-century  designs  were  copied  in 
mosaics  with  an  astonishing  skill  of  execution,  far 
beyond  that  displayed  at  any  other  time.  The  end 
of  the  century  saw  an  impulse  toward  a  new  style 
of  decoration,  which  should  be  individual.  In  the 
search  for  new  effects,  new  mediums  were  used  and 
the  number  of  mosaic  bindings  increased  to  a  great 
extent. 


ITALIAN  BINDINGS 

Sixteenth  Century 

The  Saracenic  motives,  which  played  so  important 
a  part  in  early  Venetian  book  decoration,  and  which 
were  communicated  from  the  printed  page  to  the 
binding,  show  themselves  most  conspicuously  in  the 
graceful,  leaf-like  fleurons,  at  first  tooled  solid  in 
gold,  then  azured  and  outlined,  and  in  the  interlaced 
bands  or  knots,  which  border  the  covers. 

The  finest  compositions  of  these  forms  are  found 
on  the  books  belonging  to  the  collections  of  Jean 
Grolier  de  Servieres,  Vicomte  d'Aguisy,  bibliophile 
and  treasurer  of  France  under  Francis  I,  and  of 
Thomas  Maioli,  of  whom  almost  nothing  is  known 
and  their  names  have  come  to  be  descriptive  of  the 
best  work  of  this  style.  Grolier's  bindings  vary 
considerably  in  the  amount  of  design  used  on  them 
but  they  are  generally  simple,  not  departing  far 
from  the  designs  found  on  the  early  Aldus  books. 
The  bands  are  interlaced  in  straight  lines;  the 
fleurons  are  small  and  often  combined  in  patterns 
by  themselves.  Maioli's  books  are  treated  more 
lavishly,  and  possibly  with  less  delicacy;  the  fleurons 
are  often  hollow  or  azured,  and  combined  with 
curved  gold  lines  to  form  arabesques,  which  are 
interlaced  with  the  bands.  Frequent  use  is  also 
made  of  the  cartouche. 


A  CATALOGUE   OF 

Color  is  found  on  these  bindings,  and  occasionally 
inlaid  leathers. 

1  ZANCHI,  ANTONIO  DE,  printer. 

Missale  Romanum.  Venice,  1502 

2  CATULLUS,  TIBULLUS,  PROPERTIUS. 

[Opera.]  «      1515 

3  OVIDIUS  NASO,  PUBLIUS. 

Opera  omnia.  "      1534 

4  MATTHIOLI,  PIETRO  ANDREA. 

Commentarii  In  Sex  Libros.  "      1554 

Seventeenth  Century 

5  TETIUS. 

^Edes  Barberinae.  Rome,  1642 

Eighteenth  Century 

6  Officium  Beatae  Mariae  Vir- 

ginis.  Venice,  1800 


FRENCH  BINDINGS 

Sixteenth  Century 

This,  the  most  interesting  period  in  the  history  of 

French  gold-tooled  bindings,  offers  few  examples 

of  the  art  of  mosaic- work.   Italian  styles  were  copied 

8 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

in  book-decoration  as  in  all  the  arts;  but  it  was 
especially  the  era  of  Nicolas  and  Clovis  Eve,  with 
whose  names  are  associated  the  use  of  the  seme 
and  fanfare,  two  styles  of  decoration  more  largely 
copied  by  later  binders  than  any  others  except  the 
Italian  work  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Grolier 
and  Maioli. 

Seme  is  used  in  heraldry  to  describe  a  field  sown 
with  a  powder  of  small  bearings,  equally  distant 
from  each  other.  The  adoption  of  this  heraldic 
motive  marks  an  important  addition  to  the  stock  of 
bookbinding  designs. 

The  fanfare  style  is  evolved  out  of  the  Italian 
interlaced  bands.  It  consists  of  irregularly  shaped 
compartments  made  by  geometrically  interlaced 
bands,  filled,  more  or  less,  with  branches  of  oak, 
laurel,  palm  and  other  figures. 

7  GERING,  ULRIC,  and  REMBOLD,  BER- 

THOLD,  printers. 
Book  of  Hours.  Paris,  1498 

8  ESTIENNE,  HENRI,  printer. 

Libri  Moysi  quinque.  "     1541 

9  Manuscript.  "     1543 
10     TOURNES,  JAN  DE,  printer. 

La  Sainte  Bible.  Lyons,  1554 

n  ARIOSTO,  LUDOVICO. 

Orlando  Furioso.  "  1556 

12  JUNTE,  JACQUES  DE,  printer. 

Brevarium  Romanum.  "       1556 

9 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

13  Coustumes  Des  Pays  Et  Bailliage 

Du  Grand  Perche.  Paris,  1558 

14  GUICCIARDINI,  FRANCESCO. 

La  Historia  di  Italia.  Florence,  1561 

15  CESAR,  CAIUS  JULIUS. 

I  Commentari.  Venice,  1575 

1 6  CASTIGLIONE,  BALDASSARE. 

La  Parfait  Courtisan.  Lyons,  1580 


Seventeenth  Century 
LE  GASCON 

Between  the  years  1625  and  1665,  a  large  num- 
ber of  books  were  executed,  the  ornament  of  which 
is  based  upon  the  fanfares  of  the  Eves,  but  with 
certain  peculiarities  which  produced  the  effect  of  an 
individual  style.  This  style  is  called  by  the  name 
of  Le  Gascon,  a  binder  whose  personal  history  has 
been  a  matter  of  much  speculation,  but  without  very 
definite  results.  An  imitator  or  rival,  Florimond 
Badier,  worked  in  the  style  called  Le  Gascon,  and 
it  was  copied  by  all  the  binders  of  the  period. 

The  style  of  Le  Gascon  is,  in  general,  as  follows : 
a  geometrical  pattern  of  straight  and  curved,  inter- 
laced bands,  forming  panels  which  are  ornamented 
with  small  dotted  figures  in  varying  degrees  of 
elaborateness,  from  a  rather  thin  geometrical  de- 
sign, made  with  small  tools,  to  a  filigree  covering 
10 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

the  whole  space.  The  use  of  the  broken  or  dotted 
line  instead  of  a  continuous  line  is  its  chief  dis- 
tinction. 

Many  of  these  bindings  have  the  panels  between 
the  bands  inlaid  with  colored  moroccos,  but  few 
have  the  bands  themselves  inlaid.  They  are  often 
clumsy  and  careless  in  workmanship,  and  are  chiefly 
interesting  as  showing  a  desire,  on  the  part  of  the 
binders,  to  produce  variety.  Their  colors  have 
been  softened  and  toned  down  with  time  and 
handling  until  they  produce  an  excellent  effect,  hard 
to  attain  in  modern  work. 

Badier  is  thought  to  have  been  the  first  to  make 
considerable  use  of  the  doublure.  Since  his  time 
the  insides  of  the  boards  have  been  doubled  or  cov- 
ered with  leather,  thereby  affording  a  larger  oppor- 
tunity for  decoration. 

17  [QUESNEL,  PASQUIER.] 

Le  Jour  Evangelique.  Paris,  1700 

1 8  METTAYER,  IAMET,  printer. 

Le  Pseaultier  De  David.  "     1586 


Eighteenth  Century 

During  the  eighteenth  century  the  taste  for  mosaic 

bindings  reached  its  height.     In  the  hands  of  such 

binders  as  Antoine-Michel  Padeloup,  Louis  Dou- 

ii 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

ceur,  Pierre-Paul  Dubuisson,  Pierre- Antoine  La- 
ferte",  Jacques- Antoine  Derome,  his  son  Nicolas- 
Denis,  and  Pierre  Vente,  and  under  the  influence  of 
the  Eastern  works  of  art,  now  inundating  Europe, 
and  of  the  taste  of  the  time  for  the  Rococo,  mosaic 
bookbinding  entered  upon  a  new  era.  New  mo- 
tives and  new  materials  were  introduced,  and  it 
might  almost  be  said  that  a  new  style  was  created. 

Hitherto  the  decoration  of  book-covers  had 
been  arranged  according  to  certain  simple  geomet- 
rical rules ;  and  variety  and  beauty  of  design  had 
depended  more  upon  a  variation  of  the  arrange- 
ment than  upon  the  number  of  the  motives  used. 
Now,  the  most  radical  change  was  introduced  in 
the  departure  from  these  rules  of  symmetry  and 
balance. 

To  question  whether  this  style  is  a  good  one 
would  be  as  fruitless  as  to  quarrel  about  the  value 
of  the  style  called  Louis  Quatorze,  its  parent  in 
architecture. 

With  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  workmanship 
of  the  binders  of  the  period  was  poor.  It  is  not 
easy  to  distinguish  between  the  work  of  different 
binders;  for  they  copied  each  other's  designs  and 
used  the  same  tools ;  and,  to  add  to  the  confusion, 
the  design  of  a  binder,  following  an  old  custom,  was 
signed  by  the  workman  who  gilded  it.  Amidst  a 
vast  quantity  of  inferior  work,  some  few  bindings 
stand  out  in  bold  relief.  It  is  customary  to  as- 
cribe these  to  the  best-known  masters  of  the  style. 
12 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

PADELOUP 

The  most  important  name  in  the  period,  if  not  in 
the  history,  of  French  mosaic  bindings  is  Antoine. 
Michel  Padeloup,  commonly  called  Padeloup  le 
jeune.  He  was  born  in  Paris  in  1685,  of  a  family 
of  binders  of  the  same  name,  whose  activities  ex- 
tended over  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centu- 
ries. In  his  own  day  he  achieved  a  high  reputation : 
besides  his  appointments  as  "  Relieur  ordinaire  du 
Roy  de  Portugal "  and  "  Relieur  ordinaire  du  Roy,"  he 
worked  for  Count  Hoym,  Madame  de  Pompadour, 
and  other  celebrated  collectors.  He  died  in  1758. 

His  gold-tooled  bindings  in  the  style  of  Louis 
Quatorze  and  his  celebrated  dentelle  borders  (a  form 
of  decoration  first  used  by  Boyet  on  the  doublure  of 
his  books,  but  used  by  Padeloup  on  the  covers) 
place  him  among  the  celebrated  of  his  craft.  He 
was,  moreover,  almost  the  first  to  employ  small 
pieces  of  colored  leather  in  a  composition  that  may 
really  be  called  a  mosaic. 

Bindings  before  his  time  were  inlaid  to  give 
greater  effectiveness  to  the  tooled  pattern,  to  accent 
or  strengthen  the  design ;  but  Padeloup  made  de- 
signs in  color  by  means  of  small  pieces  of  morocco, 
the  gilding  of  which  was  an  accessory  or  finish.  He 
may  be  called  the  father  of  modern  mosaic  binding. 

Mosaic  bindings  of  the  period,  and  called  by  his 
name,  are  of  two  kinds  :  compartment  bindings  and 
Chinese  bindings.  The  compartment  bindings  are 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

covered  with  a  diaper  of  one  or  two  small  geomet- 
rical figures,  usually  thought  to  have  had  their 
origin  in  the  semis  of  wreaths  of  the  Eve  bindings, 
but  more  likely  inspired  by  that  same  Saracenic  art 
which  gave  Aldus  Manutius  \i\sfleurons.  The  bril- 
liant little  "  repeats,"  in  several  colors,  lightened 
with  gold  dots,  and  outlined  with  gold,  may  very 
well  have  been  copied  from  similar  patterns,  painted 
in  the  margins  of  Arabian  or  Persian  manuscripts. 
One  of  the  earliest  examples  of  compartment  bind- 
ings is  on  a  copy  of  "Daphne  and  Chloe,"  of  1715, 
and  is  usually  ascribed  to  Nicolas  Padeloup. 

Whether  Antoine-Michel  was  the  first  to  employ 
this  motive  or  not,  he  made  it  his  own,  and  it  has 
come  to  be  associated  with  his  name;  and  if  we 
cannot  claim  for  him  the  honor  of  its  invention,  he 
is  entitled  to  our  admiration  for  his  appreciation 
and  adoption  of  so  excellent  a  form  of  book-cover 
decoration.  If  many  of  the  bindings  of  this  genre, 
made  during  this  century,  which  are  ascribed  to 
Padeloup,  are  inferior  in  workmanship  to  the  copies 
of  them  made  by  Trautz,  they  have  a  charm  and 
vigor  which  Trautz's  work,  or  the  work  of  any  of 
the  copyists  of  the  middle  nineteenth  century,  does 
not  possess. 

It  is  uncertain  when  Chinese  works  of  art  were 
first  introduced  into  France,  but  the  craze  for  East- 
ern porcelain,  lacquers,  and  stuffs  raged  during  the 
second  half  of  the  seventeenth  century  and  culmi- 
nated in  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth.  All  of 

14 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

the  French  industries  were  affected  by  it,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  and  among  them  the  craft  of 
bookbinding.  Padeloup  lived  at  the  time  when 
the  craze  for  the  Chinese  was  approaching  its  cli- 
max; and,  while  the  earlier  examples  never  go  to 
such  lengths  of"  chinoiserie  "  as  do  those  of  Lemon- 
nier,  who  came  later,  the  influence  of  this  art  was 
strong  upon  him,  and  it  may  have  been  he  who 
brought  into  French  bookbinding  the  new  motive 
which  we  call  Chinese. 

These  bindings  consist,  usually,  of  large  pieces  of 
morocco  having,  both  in  their  application  to  the 
boards  and  in  their  tooling,  the  effect  of  applique 
work.  They  sometimes  have  other  materials,  like 
silk  or  vellum,  combined  with  the  morocco,  usually 
in  the  form  of  a  painted  medallion,  surrounded  by 
a  frame.  It  is  a  point  worthy  of  notice  that  a  man 
who  succeeded  so  well  in  composing  small  and  in- 
tricate designs  should  also  have  had  the  versatility 
to  employ  the  large  and  free  manner  of  this  style. 

It  is  customary  to  dismiss  the  mosaic  work  of 
Padeloup,  and  especially  the  Chinese  bindings, 
rather  abruptly  as  poor  in  composition  and  below 
the  level  of  his  other  work.  It  may,  however,  be 
said,  remembering  that  almost  all  French  binders 
have  been  copyists  and  not  artists,  that,  within  the 
limits  of  the  styles  which  influenced  him,  his  work 
shows  more  individuality  and  striving  for  artistic 
effect  than  does  the  work  of  any  French  binder 
until  Michel. 

3  15 


A    CATALOGUE   OF 

STYLE  OF   PADELOUP 

19  LONGUS. 

Les  Amours  Pastorales  De 

Daphnis  Et  Chloe".  Paris,  1718 

20  Offices  Ou  Pratiques  De  De- 

votion en  Fransois.  "      1707 

21  ROUSSELET,  JEAN  PlERRE,  Cdl- 

ligrapher. 

Prieres  De  La  Messe.  Man- 
uscript. "      1725 

22  Heures  Nouvelles.  "      1761 

23  Heures   Presentees   A    Ma- 

dame La  Dauphine.  "    [n.  d.] 

24  JOHN  CHRYSOSTOM,  Saint. 

Homelies.  "      1689 

25  MARTIALIS,  M.  V. 

Epigrammaton.  Sedan,  1624 

26  Heures   Presenters  A   Ma- 

dame La  Dauphine.  Paris,  [n.  d.] 

27  [CAVEIRAC,  JEAN  Novi  DE.] 

Nouvel  Appel.  Brussels,  1762 


DEROME 

Nicholas  Denis  Derome,  called  le  Jeune,  also  be- 
longed to  a  large  family  of  binders;  no  less  than 
eighteen  being  mentioned  by  Thoinan.     His  father, 
16 


MOSAIC    BOOKBINDINGS 

Jacques-Antoine  Derome  (i696(?)-i76o),  was  dis- 
tinguished for  his  mosaic  bindings ;  but  it  was  the 
son,  who,  with  Padeloup,  gave  to  this  form  of  orna- 
mentation the  distinction  which  it  had  not  known 
before.  The  younger  Derome's  work  was  not  indi- 
vidual ;  he  appears  to  have  followed  closely  in  the 
style  of  Padeloup,  and  to  such  an  extent  that  it  has 
even  been  inferred  that  he  may  have  bought  the 
tools  of  Padeloup,  upon  their  sale,  after  the  latter's 
death.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  justly  said,  that  he 
perfected  the  motives  employed  by  Padeloup  and 
his  school,  in  the  same  way,  but  to  a  far  less  extent, 
that  he  perfected  the  dentelle  border,  which  is  now 
called  by  his  name. 

He  was  born  in  1731,  was  made  Master  in  1761, 
and  guard  of  his  guild  in  1773.  He  died  about 
1788. 

STYLE  OF   DEROME 

28  SANDERS,  NICHOLAS. 

Les  Trois  Livres.  Rome,  1587 

DUBUISSON,  PIERRE-PAUL  (       -1762) 

29  Almanach  Royal.  Paris,  1757 

JUBERT,  JEAN-PIERRE 

30  L'Ordinaire  De  La  Messe.         ,  Paris,  1733 

31  [DUFLOS.] 

L' Education  De  Henri  IV.  "     1790 

17 


A  CATALOGUE   OF 

LEMONNIER  or  MONNIER 

32  De  Limitation  De  Jesus-Christ.  Paris,  1690 

33  CICERO,  MARCUS  TULLIUS. 

De  Amicitia.  "      1749 

BISIAUX,   PIERRE-JOSEPH 

34  ANACREON. 

Odaria.  Parma,  [1784] 

UNKNOWN  BINDER 

35  [TREUVE,  SIMON-MICHEL,  Abbe".] 

Instruction  Sur  Les  Dispositions 
qu'on  doit  apporter  Aux  Sac- 
remens.  Paris,  1709 


Nineteenth  Century 

The  binders  of  this  century  may  be  divided  into 
three  groups,  according  to  the  distinct  styles  of 
their  work,  which  falls  into  three  periods,  the  early, 
middle,  and  end  of  the  century. 

Early.  For  some  time  previous  to  1800,  several 
circumstances  were  at  work,  tending  toward  the 
temporary  upsetting  of  the  established  order  of 
the  bookbinding  craft.  In  1776,  Turgot,  in  his 
endeavor  to  secure  liberty  of  trade,  attempted  to 
18 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

abolish  the  city  guilds,  and  with  them  the  guild  of 
the  bookbinders.  His  efforts  were  unsuccessful, 
but  the  result  was  accomplished  by  the  Revolution 
in  1791;  and  the  fraternity  of  S.  Jean  Latran, 
founded  under  Charles  VI  in  1401,  and  more  in- 
strumental than  anything  else  in  perfecting  the  art 
so  essentially  French,  came  to  an  end.  The  Revo- 
lution, which  burned  all  books  bearing  royal  or 
aristocratic  coats-of-arms,  which  forbade  the  use  of 
all  symbols  of  royalty,  even  in  gilders'  tools,  and 
which  begrudged  the  use  in  books  of  leather  needed 
for  soldiers'  boots,  could  not  be  expected  to  look 
with  favor  upon  a  craft,  the  luxurious  wares  of 
which  were  patronized  chiefly  by  the  higher 
classes. 

With  returning  prosperity,  after  the  Revolution, 
a  new  style  in  decoration  was  necessary  to  match 
the  new  order  of  things.  The  classic  reigned  every- 
where. "  From  the  chief  of  the  state  to  the  chif- 
fonnier  in  the  street,  every  one  tried  to  believe,  or  to 
encourage  the  belief,  that  the  Empire  of  France 
was  the  legitimate  successor  or  a  reproduction  of 
that  of  Rome,  and  all  things  which  were  neither  real 
nor  essential  were  made  to  conform  to  that  delu- 
sion." Roman  friezes,  scrolls,  eagles,  and  other 
symbols  appeared  in  all  directions.  The  ex-mem- 
bers of  the  Guild  of  S.  Jean  were  not  slow  to  adopt 
motives  pleasing  to  their  new  patrons;  and  the 
fleurs-de-lis,  Le  Gascon  tools,  and  Padeloup  motives 
vanished  entirely. 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

The  Roman  style,  it  must  be  admitted,  though 
often  vulgar  and  heavy,  is  not  ill  adapted  to  the 
decoration  of  the  rectangular  surfaces  of  book- 
covers.  In  the  hands  of  some  of  the  early  binders 
it  was  used  with  skill  and  effectiveness ;  but,  as  a 
whole,  the  genre,  like  the  passion  that  inspired  it, 
was  too  violent  to  last  long. 

Mosaic  bindings,  made  by  hand,  are  few  in 
number.  Toward  the  end  of  the  period,  bindings 
called  by  the  French  "a  la  cathedrale,"  with 
colored  leathers  applied  with  stamps,  had  quite  a 
vogue,  especially  on  the  works  of  the  school  of 
writers  called  the  Romanticists. 

If  French  binding  lost  a  strict  mentor  when  the 
Guild  of  S.  Jean  was  abolished,  it  gained  as  sure  an 
encouragement  to  excellence,  and  a  more  liberal 
friend,  in  an  institution,  the  direct  outcome  of  the 
Revolution,  called  the  Expositions  de  rindustrie, 
which,  beginning  in  1798,  have  been  held  at  inter- 
vals ever  since.  There  were  no  examples  of  the 
binder's  art  in  the  first  Exposition,  but  a  list  of  the 
awards  of  the  judges  of  these  Assises  industrielles 
since  then  would  make  an  outline  of  the  history  of 
bookbinding. 

The  important  names  of  the  period  are  the  Boze*- 
rians,  Joseph  Thouvenin,  Simier,  Purgold,  and 
Lessee. 

Bozerian,  the  younger,  was  publisher  and  binder, 
with  more  detractors  than  admirers ;  and  this  be- 
cause he,  when  all  was  chaos,  introduced  into 
20 


MOSAIC    BOOKBINDINGS 

France  the  style  of  English  binders,  and  because 
he  died  rich.  Paul  Lacroix  said  of  him  that  he 
produced  at  one  and  the  same  time  gilding,  tabis, 
and  bad  taste,  forgetting  that  the  supply  was  in 
response  to  a  demand,  else  M.  Boz6rian  would  not 
have  had  money  to  leave  behind  him. 

Simier,  Thouvenin,  and  Purgold  worked  in  much 
the  same  style.  They  changed  it  from  time  to  time, 
with  the  versatility  of  the  government  itself,  to  suit 
the  taste  of  republic,  consulate,  or  empire.  They 
used  poor  leather,  and  they  and  their  followers  af- 
fected the  stamp  and  other  labor-saving  devices, 
which  use  was  a  sign  of  the  times  and  showed  a 
progressive  spirit  highly  appreciated. 


FONTAINE,  L. 

36  BOILEAU  DESPREAUX,  NICOLAS. 

CEuvres  Poetiques.  Paris,  1825 

SIMIER 

37  CESAR,  CAIUS  JULIUS. 

[Commentarii.]  Amsterdam,  1635 

38  POURCHET,  MICHEL. 

Chansons.  Paris,  1831 

SUSSE 

39  Album. 

21 


A  CATALOGUE   OF 

THOUVENIN,  JOSEPH   (1790-1834) 

40  DUMAS,  ALEXANDRE. 

Henri  III  Et  Sa  Cour.  Paris,  1829 

VOGEL 

41  BERNIS,  F.  J.  DE  P.  DE,  Cardinal. 

QEuvres.  Paris,  1825 

UNKNOWN   BINDER 

42  Album. 

43  BERANGER,  P.  J.  DE. 

Chansons.  Paris,  1829 

Middle.  After  the  classicism  came  a  reaction, 
which  took  the  form  of  a  return  to  the  old  motives. 
All  of  the  binders  of  the  period,  many  of  them 
trained  in  the  ateliers  of  the  Empire  or  even  earlier, 
show  this  preference  for  tested  styles.  The  major- 
ity of  the  designs  used  now,  and  this  is  especially 
true  of  mosaic  bindings,  are  either  copies,  or,  at 
best,  copied  after  the  bindings  of  the  sixteenth  or 
eighteenth  centuries.  The  whole  period  might  be 
called  a  period  of  the  copyist. 

But,  if  there  is  a  lack  of  originality,  it  is  by  some 
excused  on  account  of  the  excellence  of  the  work- 
manship, and  especially  <zi  finishing,  which  surpassed 
anything  known  before.  This  excellence  alone 
raises  the  bindings  of  Trautz  and  some  others  to 
the  level  of  works  of  art. 

22 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

Many  collectors  arose  during  the  period,  who, 
for  enthusiasm  and  liberality,  rivaled  those  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  who  gave  to  French  book- 
binding a  position,  which,  if  sometimes  out  of  pro- 
portion to  its  deserts  as  an  art,  was  appreciative 
enough  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting  craftsman. 
This  era  of  lavish  patronage  did  much  for  mosaic- 
work,  the  costliest  kind  of  binding;  more  were 
executed  now  than  at  any  time  since  the  sixteenth 
century.  Beraldi  tells  us  that,  twenty  years  later, 
the  proportion  of  mosaic  bindings,  which  in  1860 
was  not  one  in  a  thousand,  was  multiplied  a  hun- 
dredfold. 

CAPE  (1806-1868) 

44  VOSTRE,  SIMON,  printer. 

Book  of  Hours.  Paris, 

45  [BOUCHET,  JEAN.] 

Le  Labirinth  de  fortune.  "    [1534] 

46  THEOCRITUS. 

Eclogae  triginta.  Venice,  1495 

47  THEOPHILE  (DE  VIAU  ?). 

Le  Parnasse  Satyrique.        Ley  den  (?),  1660 

48  LORRIS,  GUILLAUME   DE. 

Le  Rommant  de  la  Rose.  Paris,  1529 

49  [BOUCHET,  JEAN.] 

Les  Triumphes  de  La  Noble 

et  amoureuse  Dame.  "     1536 

4  23 


A  CATALOGUE  OF 

50  VIEL-CASTEL,  HORACE  DE. 

Statuts    De     L'Ordre     Du 

Saint-Esprit.  Paris,  1853 

51  LONGUS. 

Les  Amours  Pastorales  De 

Daphnis  Et  Chloe".  [Paris],  1751 

52  HORATIUS    FLACCUS,   QUIN- 

TUS. 
Opera.  Paris,  1828 


CUZIN,   FRANCISQUE    (1836-1890) 

53  DESPORTES,  PHILIPPE. 

Les  Premieres  Oeuvres.  Paris,  1600 

(A  list  of  Cuzin's  mosaic  bindings 
is  given  by  Henri  Beraldi  in  his 
Estampes  et  livres,  1892,  page 
235.  This  book  is  No.  3.) 

54  Bref  Discours   De   L'Excellence 

Et  Dignite  De  L'Homme.  "     1558 

(In  Beraldi's  list,  No.  6.) 

55  [LA    ROCHEFOUCAULD,    FRANC,  ois 

DE,  Duke.] 
Reflexions  Ou  Sentences  Et  Max- 

imes  Morales.  "     1665 

(In  Beraldi's  list,  No.  8.) 

56  [BONAPARTE,  LUCIEN.] 

La  Tribu  Indienne.  "  [1799] 

(In  Beraldi's  list,  No.  18.) 
24 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

57  PLANTIN,  CHRISTOPHER, /rzVz&r. 

Vivae  Imagines  Partium  Corporis. 

Antwerp,  1566 
(In  Beraldi's  list,  No.  23.) 

58  BERQUIN,  ARNAUD. 

Idylles.  [n.  d] 

59  VILLON,  FRANCOIS. 

Les  Oeuvres.  Paris,  1533 

60  CELSUS,  AURELIUS  CORNELIUS. 

De  Medicina  Libri  viii.  "     1528 


HARDY,  NESTOR  CANARIS   (1825-        ) 
MENNIL 

6 1  CATULLUS. 

Poesies.  Paris,  1867 

62  VOSTRE,  SIMON,  printer. 

Book  of  Hours.  "  [n.  d.] 


JOLY,  see  TH I  BARON 

LORTIC,  MARCELIN  (1822-1892) 

63  VIRGILIUS  MARO,  PUBLIUS. 

Les  ceuvres.  Paris,  1540 

64  GERSON,  JOHANNES    CHAR- 

LIER  DE,  translator. 
De  Limitation  De  J6sus  Christ.        "  1869 

25 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 


65  KERVER,  T*KIKIM.AN,  printer. 

Book  of  Hours. 

66  VERARD,  ANTOINE,  printer. 

Book  of  Hours. 

67  VOSTRE,  SIMON,  printer. 

Book  of  Hours. 

68  PLUTARCH. 

Precepts  nuptiaux. 

69  Manuscript. 

Book  of  Hours. 

70  VOSTRE,  SIMON,  printer. 

Le  contreblason  de  faulces 
amours. 

71  Manuscript. 

Book  of  Hours. 

72  LORRIS,  GUILLAUME   DE. 

Le  rommant  de  la  rose. 

73  LORRIS,  GUILLAUME  DE. 

Cy  est  le  Rommant  de  la 
Roze. 


74     LORRIS,  GUILLAUME  DE. 

Cy    est    le    romans    de    la 

Rose.     Manuscript.  i4th  century 

See  also  under 

LORTIC,  MARCELIN,  THE  YOUNGER.    No.  109 
26 


Paris,  1500 

"  '510 

Paris,  [1513-3°] 

Paris,  1559 

1 5th  century 

Paris,  [n.  d.] 
1 5th  century 
Paris,  [n.  d.] 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

NIEDREE,  E. 

75  [DUPONT,  GRATIAN.] 

Les   Controversses    des    Sexes 

Masculin  et  Femenin.  Paris,  1500 

76  Catalogus  Librorum  Offi- 

cinae  Danielis  Elseviri.   Amsterdam,  1681 

THIBARON 
JOLY,  ANTOINE 

77  TORY,  GEOFFREY,  printer. 

Book  of  Hours.  Paris,  1527 

78  LA  FONTAINE,  JEAN  DE. 

Les  Amours  De  Psiche  et  De  Cu- 

pidon.  "     1669 

79  Manuscript. 

Book  of  Hours.  "     1537 

JOLY,  ANTOINE 

80  Flemish  manuscript. 

Book  of  Hours.  1 5th  century 

8 1  HUGO,  VICTOR. 

Les  Orientales.  Paris,  1882 

82  Manuscript. 

Book  of  Hours.  "  [n.  d.] 

83  VILLON,  FRANCOIS. 

Les  Oeuvres.  "     1532 

27 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

TRAUTZ,  GEORGE,  called  TRAUTZ-BAUZONNET 

(1822-1879) 

84  [MARTIN,  Louis;   BELLEAU, 

REMY,     and    FOLENGO, 

THEOPHILE.] 
L'Eschole  De  Salerne  En 

vers  Burlesques.  [Leyden],  1651 

(The  catalogue  of  the  library 

of  Count  Octave  de  Be- 

hague,  published  in  i8§o, 

gives  a  list  of  the  twenty- 

two  mosaic  bindings  ex- 

ecuted by  Trautz.    This 

book  is  No.  5  in  that  list.) 

85  JARRY,    NICHOLAS,   calligra- 

pher. 

Manuscript.       Airs     Nou- 
veaux  De  La  Cour.  iyth  century 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 

7-) 

86  VILLON,  FRANCIS. 

Les  Oeuvres.  Paris,  1532 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 

^     12.) 

87  VAUQUELIN  DE  LA  FRESNAYE, 

JEAN. 

Les  Diverses  Poesies.  Caen,  1612 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 


28 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

88  COQUILLART,  GuiLtAUME. 

Les  Oeuvres.  Paris,  1532 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 

is-) 

89  VILLON,  FRAN£OIS. 

Les  Oeuvres.  "      1537 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 

'  17-) 

90  Recueil  General  Des  Caquets 

De  1'Acouchee.  "      1623 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 
18.) 

91  REGNIER,  MATHURIN. 

Les  Satyres.  Leyden,  1652 

(In  the  Behague  list,  No. 

21.) 

End  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.    The  end  of 

the  century  was  marked  by  a  restlessness  in  all  the 
crafts.  This  showed  itself  in  an  attempt  to  break 
away  from  old  traditions  and  motives,  and  to  sub- 
stitute something  entirely  new.  Natural  forms,  con- 
ventionalized natural  forms,  the  pictorial,  and,  above 
all,  colors  are  the  essentials  of  a  resulting  style. 

Bookbinding  also  shows  this  movement;  and 
the  technique  of  the  art,  even,  has  been  pushed  to 
hitherto  unknown  extremes  in  order  to  gain  a  wider 
scope  for  new  effects  in  design.  As  a  consequence, 
mosaic  bindings,  chiseled  leather,  and  incised  leather, 
stained  or  painted,  have  become  very  numerous. 
29 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

One  important  motive  now  much  employed  and 
introduced  by  the  theory  that  the  decoration  on  the 
cover  of  a  book  should  express  its  subject,  is  that 
of  symbols  or  emblems.  A  book  on  birds  has  birds 
upon  the  binding ;  on  love,  true-lovers'  knots,  and 
so  on.  This  was  not  a  new  idea,  but  it  was  one 
which  had  had  little  vogue  until  the  present  time. 

With  the  use  of  naturalistic  forms,  like  birds  and 
flowers,  and  the  pictorial  representation  of  scenes 
or  events,  comes,  just  as  it  did  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  with  the  use  of  Chinese  motives,  a  disre- 
gard for  the  old  laws  of  composition  and  symmetry. 

It  may  not  be  the  time  to  judge  any  of  these 
motives  or  methods,  yet ;  they  are  still  in  their  in- 
fancy. Some  binders  too,  in  their  desire  to  appear 
original,  have  become  eccentric,  and  it  is  not  always 
easy  to  determine  how  much  of  this  is  due  to  the 
binder  and  how  much  to  the  style.  If  the  French 
binders  have  not  accomplished  results  so  successful 
as  their  brothers  in  other  crafts,  it  is  because  they 
are  deeply  steeped  in  conventions  and  traditions, 
which  are  at  the  same  time  their  safeguards,  and  be- 
cause no  great  artist  has  appeared  to  dominate  them, 
setting  definitely  the  limits  of  book-cover  decoration. 


AMAND 

92  Aucassin  Et  Nicolette.  Paris,  1878 

93  BENSERADE. 

Po6sies.  "     1875 

3° 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 


BELZ,  see  CANAPE-BELZ 

BOSQUET,  EMILE  (1834-        ) 

94    WESTWOOD,  THOMAS. 

The  Sword  of  Kingship.         London,  1866 


BRANY 


95  KERVER, 

Book  of  Hours.  Paris,  1520 

CANAPE,  PIERRE-JULES   (1841-        ) 
BELZ,  PHILIPPE  (1829/30-        ) 

96  GRESSET,  J.  B.  L. 

Ver-Vert.  Paris,  1855 

97  HORATIUS  FLACCUS,  QUINTUS. 

Works.  London,  1849 

98  KALIDASA. 

Sakoontala.  New  York,  1885 

CANAPE,  FREDERICK  GEORGES   (1864-        ) 

99  MAUPASSANT,  GUY  DE. 

Contes  choisis.  Paris,  1891 

CASIMIR-BRIOTET 

100      LONGUS. 

Les  Amours    Pastorales    De 

Daphnis  Et  Chlo<§.  [Paris],  1731 

5  31 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

CHAMBOLLE,  R.  S.  (1834-1898) 
DURU 

101  UZANNE,  Louis  OCTAVE. 

Le  Bric-A-Brac  De  L'Amour.    Paris,  1879 

102  SAINT  PIERRE,  J.  H.  B.  DE. 

Paul  et  Virginia.  "     1869 

103  LE  NOIR,  MICHEL, printer. 

Le  preux  et  vaillant  cheuallier 

Artus  de  bretaigne.  "     1552 


CHAMBOLLE,  R.  S.  (1834-1898) 

104  THEURIET,  ANDRE. 

Nos  Oiseaux.  Paris,  1886 

105  CLARETIE,  ARSENE-ARNAUD, 

called  JULES. 
Bouddha.  "     1888 


GRUEL,  LEON   (1841-        ) 

1 06  Portfolio. 

KAUFFMAN 

107  FLERS,  ROBERT  DE. 

Ilsee.  Paris,  1897 

1 08  Nausikaa.  "     1899 

32 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

LORTIC,  MARCELIN,  THE  YOUNGER 
(1852-        ) 

109     CLARETIE,  ARSENE-ARNAUD,  called 

JULES. 

Le  Drapeau.  Paris,  1886 

no     GONCOURT,  E.-L.-A.  and  J.-A.-H. 

DE. 
L'Amour     de      Dix-Huitieme 

Siecle.  "     1875 

in     KERVER,  THIELMAN, printer. 

Book  of  Hours.  "     1503 

112     IRVING,  WASHINGTON. 

A  History  of  New  York.    New  York,  1886 


MAGNIN,  LUCIEN 

113  BOUFFLERS,  STANISLAS  JEAN  DE, 

Marquis. 
Aline  Reine  de  Golconde.          Paris,  1887 

114  DIDEROT,  DENIS. 

Jacques  La  Fataliste.  "     1884 

MERCIER,  EMILE-PHILIPPE  (1855-        ) 

115  DAUDET,  ALPHONSE. 

Sapho.  Paris,  1897 

116  [STERNE,  LAURENCE.] 

A  Sentimental  Journey.          London,  1768 

33 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

117  Manuscript,  written  in  Latin.      i5th  century 

118  HUGO,  VICTOR. 

Les  Orientales.  Paris,  1829 

119  DRUMMOND,  WILLIAM. 

Poems.  Edinburgh,  1616 

120  Manuscript.  [n.  p.,  n.  d.] 

MEUNIER,  CHARLES  (1865-        ) 

121  NERVAL,  GERARD  DE. 

Sylvie.  Paris,  1886 

122  HERVILLY,  MARIE-ERNEST  D'. 

Le  Harem.  "     1874 

123  VlLLIERS  DE   L'lSLE    ADAM,    Au- 

GUSTE. 

Premieres  Poesies.  "     1859 

124  SHAKESPEARE,  WILLIAM. 

Anthony  and  Cleopatra.     New  York,  1891 

125  Polichinel.  Paris,  [n.  d.] 

126  [DENON,  VIVANT.] 

Point  De  Lendemain.  "     1889 

127  BAUDELAIRE,  CHARLES-PIERRE. 

Les  Fleurs  Du  Mai.  "     1857 

128  MAINDRON,  ERNEST. 

Les  Affiches  illustre'es.  "     1886 

129  JACQUEMART,  JULES,  engraver. 

Bibliophilie.  "     1861 

130  Histoire  Des  Quatre  Fils  Ay- 

mon.  "     1883 

34 


MOSAIC    BOOKBINDINGS 

131  FALIZE,  LUCIEN. 

Claudius  Popelin.  Paris,  1893 

132  OMAR  KHAYYAM. 

Rubaiyat.  New  York,  1885 

133  GYP  and  others. 

F6minies.  Paris,  1896 


MICHEL,  HENRI,  called 
HENRI  MARIUS-MICHEL  (1846-        ) 

134  Manuscript. 

Book  of  Hours.  i5th  century 

135  [DORAT,  CLAUDE-JOSEPH.] 

Les  Baisers.  Paris,  1770 

136  [PREVOST  D'EXILES,  A.-F.] 

Histoire    du    Chevalier    Des 

Grieux.  "     1753 

137  LONGUS. 

Les    Amours    Pastorales    De 

Daphnis  Et  Chloe.  [Paris,  1718] 

138  Aucassin  Et  Nicolette.  Paris,  1878 

139  SAINT  PIERRE,  J.  H.  B.  DE. 

Paul  et  Virginie.  "     1876 

140  SAINT  PIERRE,  J.  H.  B.  DE. 

Paul  et  Virginie.  "     1876 

141  Laus  Ululse. 

142  DROZ,  GUSTAVE. 

Monsieur,  Madame  et  B6b6.  "     1878 

35 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 


143  NERVAL,  GERARD  DE. 

Sylvie.  Paris,  1886 

144  MAREAU,  HEGESIPPE. 

Le  Myosotis.  "     1893 


PAGNANT 

145  LA  ROCHEFOUCAULD,  FRAN- 

9015  DE,  Duke. 
Maximes  Et  Reflexions 

Morales.  Paris,  1827 

146  CURTIS,  GEORGE  WILLIAM. 

Washington  Irving.  New  York,  1891 

147  GOUDEAU,  £MILE. 

Paysages  Parisiens.  Paris,  1892 


PETIT 

148     HORATIUS  FLACCUS,  QUINTUS. 

Opera.  London,  1824 


QUINET 

149  LONGUS. 

Les  Amours    Pastorales    De 

Daphnis  Et  Chloe".  [Paris],  1731 

150  SAINT  PIERRE,  J.  H.  B.  DE. 

Paul  et  Virginie.  Paris,  1878 

36 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

RAPALIER,  PAUL  (1855-1899) 

151  GAUTIER,  THEOPHILE. 

Le  Roi  Candaule.  Paris,  1893 

152  FLAUBERT,  GUSTAVE. 

He'rodias.  "  1892 


RUBAN,  PETRUS  (1851-       ) 

153  GYP  and  others. 

Feminies  Huit  Chapitres 

Inedits.  Paris,  1896 

154  THEURIET,  ANDRE. 

Nos  Oiseaux.  "      1886 

155  UCHARD,  MARIO. 

Mon  Oncle  Barbassou.  "      1884 

156  HARAUCOURT,  EDMOND. 

L'Effort.  "      1894 

157  Histoire  Des  Quatre  Fils 

Aymon.  "      1883 

158  [BERALDI,  HENRI.] 

Bibliotheque   D'Un  Bib- 
liophile. Lille,  1885 

159  Almanach  Du  Diable.  Paris,  1738 

1 60  BOUTET,  HENRI. 

Almanach.  "  [1887] 

161  [NlERMBERG,  J.  E.  DE.] 

L'Aimable  Mere  De  Je- 
sus. [Amsterdam,  1671] 

37 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

DE  SAMBLANCX 
WECKESSER 

162  FLAUBERT,  GUSTAVE. 

Salammb6.  Paris,  1863 

163  POE,  EDGAR  ALLAN. 

The  Raven.  New  York,  1845 

164  GAUTIER,  THEOPHILE. 

fimaux  Et  Cam6es.  Paris,  1887 

165  LOTI,   L.    M.   J.  VIAUD,    called 

PIERRE. 
Au  Maroc.  "     1889 

1 66  Chansons  Folles.  [n.  p.,  n.  d.] 

WIENER 

167  ZOLA,  SMILE. 

Le  R£ve.  Paris,  [n.  d.] 

English  Bindings 

In  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  English 
bookbinding,  previously  little  more  than  a  reflec- 
tion of  French  work,  took  on  a  new  aspect,  which 
reveals  a  high  degree  of  excellence  in  forwarding 
and  finishing,  and  an  individuality  of  design,  chal- 
lenging comparison  with  the  best  French  work. 
This  phase  of  development  is  called,  rather  loosely, 
the  Cottage  style,  because,  as  it  developed,  the  head 
and  tail  of  the  panel  of  the  covers  became  triangular 

38 


MOSAIC    BOOKBINDINGS 

in  shape,  resembling  the  gable  end  of  a  roof.  The 
French  had  used  the  Cottage  style  before  the  Eng- 
lish made  it  theirs,  but  not  to  any  great  extent. 

The  gilding  on  these  bindings  is  done  with  a 
wide  variety  of  tools :  some  apparently  copied  after 
Le  Gascon,  and  some  distinctly  English  in  type. 
These  cottage  bindings  and  some  of  the  tools  used 
upon  them  are  thought  to  have  had  their  origin  in 
the  work  of  Samuel  Mearne  and  of  his  son  Charles, 
bookbinders  to  Charles  II. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Herbert  P.  Home  for 
an  account  of  what  little  is  known  of  the  Mearnes. 
He  says :  "  At  the  restoration,  the  office  of  Book- 
binder to  the  King  was  granted,  in  June,  1660,  to 
Samuel  Mearne,  *  dureing  his  life,  with  ye  yearely 
ffee  of  6  u'  [Car.  II.,  Docquet  Book,  i66o-i,p.  4.] : 
at  this  time,  Mearne  was  living  in  Little  Britain. 
Among  the  accounts  of  the  Great  Wardrobe,  I  find 
an  almost  unbroken  series  of  entries  relating  to 
him,  between  the  years  1663  and  1683;  after  which 
the  name  of  Charles  Mearne  occurs,  who  was 
probably  his  son." 

No  binding  can  be  definitely  ascribed  to  either 
Samuel  or  Charles  Mearne ;  but  it  is  safe  to  assume 
that,  among  the  books  of  the  period,  some  are  their 
handicraft,  and  we  may  with  reason  couple  the 
excellence  of  the  period  with  their  names. 

The  new  tools  used  in  the  cottage  bindings  con- 
sist of  long  branches  of  leaves  ending  in  large, 
clumsy  flowers  —  tulips  (?)  —  flowers  with  thick, 

6  39 


A  CATALOGUE   OF 

curved  stems,  acorns,  etc.,  made  chiefly  with 
broken  outlines,  like  Le  Gascon  tools.1  At  first, 
they  were  often  coarse  and  badly  drawn,  but  in  late 
examples  they  were  very  delicately  cut.  The  de- 
signs made  by  a  combination  of  these  tools  in  the 
given  space  of  cottage  panel  and  border  seem,  at 
first  glance,  without  definite  composition,  even  hap- 
hazard ;  but  the  same  general  plan  was  followed  in 
almost  all  cases.  The  effect  produced  is  often 
good,  sometimes  beautiful. 

The  period  abounds  in  inlaid-work,  to  which  the 
general  divisions  of  the  cover  and  the  big  flowers 
easily  lend  themselves. 

In  the  admirable  essay  on  The  Bindings  of 
Samuel  Mearne  and  his  School,  by  Mr.  Cyril  Dav- 
enport in  Bibliographica,  the  author  says : 

"Although  before  this  date  there  are  scattered 
instances  of  the  use  of  inlaid  leathers  —  in  England 
on  books  bound  for  Queen  Elizabeth,  probably  by 
John  Day,  who,  however,  only  used  white  leather 
on  calf,  and  in  France,  to  a  small  extent,  by  Le 
Gascon  —  yet  as  a  regular  process,  it  cannot,  I 
think,  be  considered  to  have  been  previously  prac- 
tised anywhere  to  any  extent.  But  here  it  held  its 
own  continuously  from  its  inception  until  the  time  of 
James  II.,  when  it  altered  somewhat  in  character." 

1 A  tool  having  a  bird's  head  with  a  beak  like  a  parrot's  is 
considered  by  Mr.  Davenport  to  have  been  exclusively  used 
by  Samuel  Mearne.  A  small  stamp  of  a  pineapple  was  used 
by  Charles. 

40 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

During  the  late  eighteenth  century,  few  mosaics 
worth  mentioning  were  made.  Roger  Payne's 
graceful  style  was  founded  on  the  more  vigorous 
seventeenth-century  patterns;  but  he  did  not  at- 
tempt, as  far  as  is  known,  to  make  mosaics,  unless 
we  accept  as  one  the  binding  on  the  Aldus  edition 
of  Vergil,  with  cameos  set  in  the  covers. 

The  early  nineteenth-century  binders  followed 
closely  in  the  wake  of  the  French.  Mr.  Cobden- 
Sanderson  and  his  school  keep  pace  with  the  "  new 
art "  movement  after  their  own  fashion,  and  have 
produced,  with  tools  founded  on  natural  forms, 
some  individual  and  beautiful  designs,  which  have 
done  more  to  inspire  the  Germans  than  any  others, 
but  they  have  not  turned  their  attention  to  mosaic- 
work. 

Sixteenth  Century 

168     NATALIS,  HIERONYMUS. 

Evangelicae   Historiae   Im- 
agines. Antwerp,  1596 


Seventeenth  Century 

169  HAYWARD,  SIR  JOHN. 

The  Sanctuarie  of  a  troubled 

Soule.  London,  1632 

170  QUARLES,  FRANCIS. 

Divine  Poems.  "      1642 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

171  NORTON,  R.,  printer. 

The  Gentleman's  Calling.      London,  1662 

172  Manuscript. 

An  Abstract  of  Accompts.  "      1674 

173  La  Liturgie.  "      1678 

1 74  The  Lively  Oracles  given  to  us. 

Oxford,  1678 

175  The  Book  of  Common  Prayer.     "       1679 

176  COWLEY,  ABRAHAM. 

Works.  London,  1681 

177  BATES,  WILLIAM. 

The  Danger  of  Prosperity.  "      1685 

178  TAYLOR,  JEREMY. 

The   Rule   and   Exercises   of 

Holy  Living.  "      1686 

Eighteenth  Century 
ELLIOT  and  CHAPMAN 

179  Manuscript. 

The  Meanes  of  a  most  Am- 
ple Encrease  of  The 
Wealth  &  Strength  of  Eng- 
land. 

UNKNOWN   BINDERS 

1 80  The  New  Week's  Prepara- 

tion. London,  [n.  d.] 

42 


MOSAIC  BOOKBINDINGS 

181  FAERNO,  GABRIELLO. 

Fabulae  Centum.  London,  1743 

182  Book  of  Common  Prayer.       Oxford,  1772 

183  London  Almanack.  [London],  1792 

184  The     Naturalist's     Pocket 

Book.  London,  1796 

185  DELILLE,  JACQUES. 

Les  Jardins.  "        1801 

Nineteenth  Century 

BEDFORD,  FRANCIS   (1799-1883) 

186  ROGERS,  SAMUEL. 

Poems.  London,  1834 

187  ROGERS,  SAMUEL. 

Poems.  "        1834 

1 88  The  Sea  Book.  "     [n.  d.] 

BOYER 

189  HELMAN,  ISIDORE-STANISLAS,  en- 

graver. 
Faits  Memorables.  Paris,  1788 

CHATELIN 

190  ONGHENA,  CHARLES,  engraver. 

La  Chasse  De  Sainte  Ur- 

sule.  Bruxelles,  1841 

191  LONGUS. 

Daphnis  Et  Chloe\  Paris,  1872 

43 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

HAYDAY,  JAMES   (1796-1872) 

192  [PICKERING,  WILLIAM.] 

Rules  And  Regulations  Of 
The  Walton  and  Cotton 
Club.  London,  1840 

HERING,  CHARLES 

193  TASSO,  TORQUATO. 

La  Gerusalemme  Liberata.         Paris,  1805 

MACKENZIE 

194  LOCKHART,      JOHN     GIBSON, 

translator. 
Ancient  Spanish  Ballads.       London,  1841 

NICHOLS,  IRENE 

195  GROLIER  CLUB. 

Catalogue  of  Original  and 
Early  Editions  of  ... 
English  Writers.  New  York,  1893 

RIVIERE,  ROBERT   (1808-1882) 

196  La  legende  des  Flamens.  Paris,  1522 

197  SHAKESPEARE,  WILLIAM. 

The  History  of  Henrie  the 

fourth.  London,  1613 

198  [PUTTENHAM,  GEORGE.] 

The  Arte  of  English  Poesie.          "       1589 
44 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

199  SHAKESPEARE,  WILLIAM. 

A  Most  pleasant  and  excel- 
lent conceited  Comedie 
of  Sir  John  Falstaffe.  London,  1619 

200  SAINTSBURY,  GEORGE. 

French  Lyrics.  "       1882 

ZAEHNSDORF,  JOSEPH   (1816-1886) 

201  HAMERTON,  PHILIP  GILBERT. 

Etching.  London,  1868 

202  CHAPMAN,  GEORGE. 

The  Revenge  of  Bussy  D'Am- 

boise.  "       1613 

203  TENNYSON,  .ALFRED. 

Poems.  "       1842 

204  [IRVING,  WASHINGTON.] 

A  History  of  New  York.    New  York,  1886 

205  HUMPHREYS,  HENRY  NOEL. 

The  Art  of  Illumination.         London,  1849 

206  STOTHARD,  THOMAS,  engraver. 

The  Alphabet.  "       1830 

UNKNOWN   BINDERS 

207  [BURKE,  JOHN.] 

The  Knightage  of  Great  Brit- 
ain. London,  1841 

208  London  Almanack.  [London],  1856 

45 


A  CATALOGUE   OF 

AMERICAN  BINDINGS 

The  history  of  bookbinding  in  America  has  re- 
ceived little  or  no  attention,  chiefly,  probably,  be- 
cause of  a  lack  of  collected  material  from  which  to 
write  it.  A  few  bindings  have  been  found  with  de- 
signs made  with  small  tools,  and  some  with  stamped 
and  roulette  patterns;  and  early  examples  of  mosaic- 
work,  even,  are  known,  having  timid  designs  exe- 
cuted in  thin  leather :  but  an  enthusiastic  bibliophile 
is  yet  to  be  found  willing  to  undertake  the  collec- 
tion and  description  of  the  examples  of  this  one  of 
the  American  crafts. 

Any  early  attempts  at  the  ornamentation  of  book- 
covers  would  undoubtedly  have  been  modeled 
upon  the  English  work  of  the  same  period,  though 
it  would  have  been  surprising  if,  during  our  friendly 
intercourse  with  France,  and  especially  when  con- 
ducted by  a  printer  so  eminent  as  Franklin,  some 
ideas  should  not  have  been  received  from  the 
French. 

The  state  of  the  art  at  the  time  of  the  Exposition 
held  at  Philadelphia  in  1876  may  be  gathered  from 
the  report  of  the  visiting  delegates  of  French  bind- 
ers, published  in  1879. 

Publishers'  names  appear  largely  among  the  list 
of  exhibitors,  and  the  class  of  books  upon  which 
the  better  bindings  are  found  are  publishers'  or  sub- 
scription books.  Chief  among  these  are  the  large 
"  family  bibles  "  with  blank  leaves  for  family  rec- 
46 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

ords,  once  the  pride  of  every  household,  but  now 
largely  disappearing  from  view. 

A  few  bindings  were  noticed  inlaid  with  several 
colors.  The  work  was  found  to  be  of  a  mixed 
genre,  holding  to  the  English  for  the  decoration 
and  gilding,  to  the  French  for  the  body  of  the  work 
and  the  covers,  and  to  the  Germans  for  the  lesser 
things. 

The  visiting  delegates  probably  expressed  it 
mildly  when  they  said  that  American  binding  was 
a  half-century  behind  the  French.  It  was,  they  de- 
clared, "  de  Fintention." 

Mr.  Brander  Matthews  has  pointed  out  that 
bookbinding  here  has  been  retarded  by  reasons 
clearly  outside  of  art — by  the  high  wages  of  skil- 
ful workmen,  and  by  the  high  tariff  on  raw  materials ; 
but  these  are  not  the  only  economic  reasons  that 
have  forced  American  collectors  to  send  their  books 
abroad  to  be  bound.  The  American  collector  is  him- 
self, comparatively  speaking,  of  very  recent  date : 
there  has  been  little  demand  for  fine  bindings  until 
recently.  There  could  be  no  supply  until  the  de- 
mand came. 

Mr.  William  Matthews  was,  perhaps,  our  first 
binder  to  foresee  this  coming  demand  and  to  try  to 
be  ready  for  it ;  there  are  even  now  only  a  few 
binders  who  have  the  necessary  technical  and  artis- 
tic skill  to  finish  books.  American  collectors  have 
been  forced  to  send  their  books  abroad  to  be  bound 
until  enough  binders  could  be  found  to  do  the  work 

7  47 


A   CATALOGUE  OF 

at  home.  While  the  growing  demand  for  fine  bind- 
ings has  been  so  largely  supplied  by  foreigners,  the 
number  of  skilled  workmen  in  this  country  has 
hardly  increased  at  all ;  and  it  will  not  increase  un- 
til they  can  compete  with  the  European  members 
of  their  craft,  more  especially  in  the  matter  of  design. 

The  majority  of  our  binders,  like  our  other  crafts- 
men, are  poor  in  the  traditions  of  design,  and  poorer 
still  in  examples  or  models  from  which  to  copy  or 
study.  Had  there  been  no  economic  reasons  to 
explain  the  lack  of  skilled  bookbinders,  this  would 
have  explained  it.  French  binders  handle  continu- 
ally rare  old  bindings.  Cap6  and  Chambolle  col- 
lected libraries  of  old  books  for  study;  Marius- 
Michel  traced  old  bindings  and  made  himself  an 
authority  on  design  as  applied  to  the  book-cover. 
All  French  craftsmen  may  learn  the  theory  and 
principles  of  design  in  their  technical  schools. 

This  period,  through  which  we  have  been  pass- 
ing, of  forced  purchases  abroad,  was  the  thing 
which,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  had  to  happen.  In 
the  end  it  will  work  to  the  advantage  of  American 
binders.  Examples  will  become  plentiful,  and  mu- 
seums will  exhibit  them  so  that  binders  may  see  and 
copy  the  best  models  and  be  inspired  by  them  to  do 
original  work. 

Eighteenth  Century 

209     [TYLER,  ROYAL.] 

The  Contrast.  Philadelphia,  1790 

48 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

Nineteenth  Century 

THE  CLUB  BINDERY,  New  York 

FOUNDED  1895 

1896 

210  [IRVING,  WASHINGTON.] 

A  History  of  New  York.     New  York,  1886 

1898 

211  ANACREON. 

Odae.  Paris,  1554 

212  GOYA   Y    LUCIENTES,  F.  J.  DE,  <?«- 

graver. 
Caprichos  inventados  y  graba- 

dos  al.  agua  forte.       [Madrid,  abt.  1799] 

1899 

213  BOUFFLERS,  STANISLAS  JEAN 

DE,  Marquis. 
Aline  Reine  de  Golconde.          Paris,  1887 

214  MORE,  SIR  THOMAS. 

Utopia.  London,  1551 

215  MAUPASSANT,  GUY  DE. 

Conte  Choisis.  Paris,  1891-1892 

216  CESAR,  CAIUS  JULIUS. 

De  Bello  Gallico  libri  vii.          Rome,  1469 

217  GAUTIER,  TH£OPHILE. 

Le    Mille    Et   Deuxieme 

Nuit.  Paris,  1898 

49 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 


1900 


218  VESPUCCI,  AMERIGO. 

S'Ensuytle  le  Nouveau  monde 
et  navigations  faictes  par 
Emeric  de  vespuce.  Paris,  [n.  d.] 

219  LA  MOTTE-ROULLANT,  DE. 

Les  Facetieux.  "     1550 

220  GOLDSMITH,  OLIVER. 

The  Haunch  of  Venison.       London,  1776 

221  MUSSET,  ALFRED  DE. 

Lorenzaccio.  Paris,  1895 

222  COPPEE,   F.-E.-J.,  called   FRAN- 

9013. 
Le  Passant.  "     1897 

223  [MENNES,  SIR  JOHN,  and  SMITH, 

JAMES.] 
Musarum  Delicise.  London,  1656 

224  HUBBARD,  WILLIAM. 

A  Narrative  Of  The  Troubles 
With  The  Indians  In  New 
England.  Boston,  1677 

225  KILLIGREW,  ANNE. 

Poems.  London,  1686 

226  BLAKE,  WILLIAM. 

Songs  of  Innocence.  [London],  1789 

227  BOCCACCIO,  GIOVANNI. 

A  Treatise  .  .  .  shewing  .  .  .  the 

folies  of .  .  .  Princes.  London,  1554 

5° 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 


228     BURY,  RICHARD  DE. 
Philobiblon. 


New  York,  1889 


1901 

229  HARTGERS,  JOOST,  publisher. 

Beschrijvinghe  Van  Vir- 
ginia. Amsterdam,  1651 

230  [DAY,  RICHARD.] 

A  Booke  Of  Christian 

Prayers.  London,  1578 

231  ROSTAND,  EDMOND. 

Cyrano  de  Bergerac.  Paris,  1899 

232  AESOP. 

233  HERRICK,  ROBERT. 

Hesperides.  London,  1648 

234  ARIOSTO,  LUDOVICO. 

Orlando   Furioso   [tr.  by 
John  Harington].  "       1591 

235  MONTESQUIEU,      CHARLES 

LE      SECONDAT      DE, 
Baron. 
Le  Temple  De  Gnide.  Paris,  1796 

236  R.  E.  and  others. 

Ballades  dans  Paris.  "       1894 

237  PRIOR,  MATTHEW. 

Poems.  London,  1707 

238  La  Gloria  Et  L'Honore 

De  Ponti  Tagliaii.  Venice,  1558 

51 


A   CATALOGUE   OF 

1902 


239    CHAH  ALL 

Bostan    ul    Mohaddithin. 

(Persian  manuscript.)  [abt.  1771] 


MATTHEWS,  WILLIAM  (1822-1896) 

240  [IRVING,  WASHINGTON.] 

A  History  Of  New  York.    New  York,  1867 

241  [KEBLE,  JOHN.] 

The  Christian  Year.  London,  1882 

242  Nouvelles   Heures   Goth- 

iques.  [Paris,  n.  d.] 

243  MATTHEWS,  WILLIAM. 

Modern  Bookbinding.       New  York,  1889 

244  BRATHWAITE,  RICHARD. 

The  Arcadian  Princesse.         London,  1635 

245  SIMMONS,  M.,  printer. 

Recreation    for    Ingenious 

Headpeeces.  "        1654 

246  [WALTON,  IZAAK.] 

The  Compleat  Angler.  "         1668 


STARR,  ELLEN  G. 

247     SHAKESPEARE,  WILLIAM. 

The  Sonnets.  London,  1881 

52 


MOSAIC   BOOKBINDINGS 

STIKEMAN,  HENRY  WALTER 

(1852-        ) 

248  CICERO,  MARCUS  TULLIUS. 

Cato  Major.  Paris,  1758 

249  CATULLUS,  TIBULLUS,  and  PRO- 

PERTIUS. 
[Opera.]  London,  1824 

250  ANDREWS,  WILLIAM  LORING. 

Stray  Leaf  From  The  Corre- 
spondence Of  Washington 
Irving  And  Charles  Dick- 
ens. New  York,  1894 


53 


Grolier  clu').    New  York 


t 
Mosaic  book' >indings 


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